Duder
August 31st 2005, 06:55 PM
Greetings, all -
I have a question that I have been unable to answer with online sourses.
What I am having difficulty understanding is how New Orleans was established in the early 18th century. New Orleans is below sea level. Was a section of shallow sea walled off and pumped out? While this would have been possible with 18th century technology, I cannot imagine that it would have seemed worth such a massive effort.
Was a settlement established on a bit of land above sea level, and did a levee system gradually grow as the city expanded?
How did it happen that we got a modern, metropolitan, coastal city below sea level?
I have a question that I have been unable to answer with online sourses.
What I am having difficulty understanding is how New Orleans was established in the early 18th century. New Orleans is below sea level. Was a section of shallow sea walled off and pumped out? While this would have been possible with 18th century technology, I cannot imagine that it would have seemed worth such a massive effort.
Was a settlement established on a bit of land above sea level, and did a levee system gradually grow as the city expanded?
How did it happen that we got a modern, metropolitan, coastal city below sea level?